allafrica.com

April 2009

Lagos — The notorious Somali pirates whose activities have threatened international shipping coast carried out most of their recent activities from a seized Nigerian ship - MV Yenegoa Ocean - which has remained in their captivity for the past 18 months THISDAY has learnt.

The Nigerian ship, a tug boat, was seized on its way back from Singapore where it had gone for repairs. Reports have it that the pirates have since moved the Nigerian ship to a place called Punctland in Somalia, which is the base from where they now operate. The fate of the eight-man crew on board the ship when it was seized by the pirates was not known.

The vessel is owned by a relation of a serving Nigerian minister.

The presidency is said to have set up a security committee headed by national security adviser, Major General Sarki Mukhtar (rtd) to co-ordinate the release of the ship. The committee is believed to have contemplated seeking foreign assistance on how to secure the release of the ship.

Efforts to reach the concerned authorities on the fate of the ship last night did not yield results as no one was willing to speak on the matter. When THISDAY got through to a mobile telephone line believed to be owned by the spokesperson of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr Okoye, the person on the end denied being the spokesperson, having listened to what THISDAY had to say.

He claimed the phone was being charged in his office and promised he would inform Okoye to call THISDAY. Follow-up calls put through to the phone were not answered.

Somali Pirates have since 2005 threatened to seize as many ships as possible and the fleet of ships so far attacked have increased over time. Many international organisations, including the International Maritime Organisation and the World Food Programme have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy which is believed to have contributed to rise in shipping costs and shipping insurance premiums as well as impeded the delivery of food aid shipments.

As a result of the increase in the activities of piracy, the UN Security Council, on November 20, 2008, adopted a resolution that was proposed by Britain, introducing tougher sanctions against Somalia over the country's failure to prevent a surge in sea piracy.

This notwithstanding, the pirates have, in the last few days, stepped up their attacks off Somalia's coast. A few days ago, they hijacked a fourth vessel in two days, seizing also, a Lebanese-owned cargo ship. The 5,000-tonne Togo-flagged MV Sea Horse was reportedly taken by gunmen in up to four skiffs.

Before then, the pirates had hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier, the MV Irene, in the Gulf of Aden, a day after Somali raiders captured two Egyptian fishing boats. Another ship- a Liberian-flagged Safmarine Asia, was according to reports, attacked but escaped after coming under fire from pirates in several small boats.

US President, Barack Obama few weeks ago, promised to "halt the rise of piracy" in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.